Lexible mesh bracelet and method of manufacture



ocr, 19, 194s. J, G, 5.5M y 2,451,780 FLEXIBLE IVESH BRACELET ANDHEITHOD OF MANUFACTURE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed l.my 25, 1947 lNvENToR.70M GT ATTORNEY Oct. 19, 1948.

Filed'July 25, 1947 FLEXIBLE MESH BRACELET AN N N N 4 [l r l 4 N u f l ll b4 J. G. SISKA y u i? 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 tl l ArronNl-:Y

D METHOD oF MANUFACTURE J. G. SISKA Oct. 19, 1948.

FLEXIBLE uEsH BRALELET'4 AND METHOD or' HAHUFACTURE .6 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed July 25, 1947 ELLALAL ATTORNEY Oct. 19,1948. v .1.6. slsKAFLEXIBLE msn nmol-:LET AND METHOD-0F MANUFACTURE Filed July 25, 1947 6Sheets-Shet 5 INVENTOR mr F ATTORNEY wm a. HSW-1 oct. 19,1948.-

-J. G. slsKA FLEXIBLEMESH BRACELET AND METHOD 0F MANUFACTURE ssheets-sheet. s

Filed July 25, 1947.

SMQ

ATTORNEY Patented oa. 19,1948

.fLExmLE Masa BRACELET AND METHOD or MANUFACTURE John G. Siska, NorthCresskill, N. J., assigner to Jacques Kreisler` ManufacturingCorporation, North Bergen, N. J., a corporation Application July 25,1947, Serial No. 763,673

lThis invention relates to bracelets or the like,

and more particularly to' bracelets for wrist watches and to a method ofmaking the same.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a highlyornamental, flexible bracelet which, though fabricated solely fromidentical, extremely simple and inexpensive links, hides completely theidentity of the individual links.

It is anotherimportant object of the present in vention to join theindividual links so that the ensuing bracelet, while slender anddelicate in appearance, has extraordinary tensile strength and will defyall ordinary attempts at its destruction.

It is another important object of the present invention to provide abracelet of this type which is tapered lengthwise. y

It is another important object of the present invention to devise amethod of fabricating bracelets of this type which lends itself tohighly eiiicient mass production of the bracelet at eX- tremely lowcost.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present.invention will be more fully understood from the following descriptionconsidered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows, greatly enlarged, an initial assembly of individual linksas they are coordinated as the first Step' in their formation into abracelet of the present type;

Fig. 2 is a section through the coordinated links, taken on the line2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of. a fixture used in themanufacture of the present bracelet;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, the fixture shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 Shows, greatly enlarged, a bracelet in an intermediate stage ofits formation;

Fig. 6 is an edge view of the partly finished bracelet, as viewed inthedirection of the arrow 6 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows a tool used in the further formation of the partly finishedbracelet;

Fig. 8,shows the tool in cross-section and in partly in section, of

"position prior to its performance on the partly iini'shedloracelet;

Fig. 9 is\a\view similar to Fig. 8,v showing the tool in the performanceof its designated function; fr".

Fig. 10 illustrates the\same`performance .on the partly finishedbracelet by a modified tool;

` 11 Claims. (Cl. 63-4) Fig. 11 shows the modified tool in elevation;

Fig. 12 shows, greatly enlarged, a short'section of the finishedbracelet; l

Fig. 13 is an edge view of the finished bracelet, as viewed inthedirection of the arrow I3 in Fig.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary cross-section through a greatly enlarged toolused for forming the partly finished bracelet into final form;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary cross-section through a greatly enlarged,modified tool that performs like that shown in Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 shows a greatly enlarged, modified bracelet in an intermediatestage of its formation; and

Fig. 17 shows the modified bracelet in its final form.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 20 designates abracelet (Fig. 12) which is fabricated solely from individual linksI 22(Figs. 1

and 2). The links 22 are in the form of spirals made preferably from'metal of fiat, or relatively flat, stock. In the present instance, thespiral links 22 are made from half-round stock as Shown in` Fig. 2.Preferably, the links 22 are all identical, i. e., of the samedimensions and wound uni-directionally.

In manufacturing bracelets of the type illustrated ln Fig. 12, there isfirst formed a pre` assembly 24 of joined links 22. To this end, a

multitude of links 22, each preferably of a length several times that ofthe .Width ofl a finished bracelet, are interwound or interlaced in themanner best shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The pre-assembly 24 of links thus formed is then compressed into a mator blank of the general pattern or texture shown in Fig. 5, in which theconvolutions 26 of the adjacent links 22 are in the closely intermeshedor interlocked relation shown. This is accomplished by compressing thelink assembly 24 edgewise in two transverse directions. To this end,there may be provided a fixture 30 (Figs. 3 and 4), comprising a bracket32 having a base 34 and being provided with a backing surface 36 andsupporting shoulder 38 on which the link assembly 24 is placed. Suitablyguided on the base 34 of the bracket 32 for movement to and from thebacking surface 36 of the latter is a slide 40, carrying a pressureplate 42 which is adapted to cooperate with the surface 36 and shoulder38 of the bracket in forming a recess in which to compress the linkassembly 24. For a reason hereinafter described, the links 22 inassembly 24 are, in the present instance, per- I'nitted to expand in thedirection of the thickness Y This is accomplished, in the of theassembly during the referred edgewise compression of the latter. To thisend, the pressure plate 42 is yieldingly carried on the slide 40 bymeans of interposed compression springs 44 and studs 46. The' studs 46may be anchored in the pressure plate 42 and extend through bushings 48in the slide 40. The studs 46 are provided with heads 60 which serve aslimit stops for the pressure plate 42 in its most advanced position.

After placing a link assembly 24 into the fixture 80, as described andas shown in Fig. 3, the retracted slide 40 is'advanced until thepressure plate 42 bears, and preferably exerts a slight pressure,against the located link assembly 24. The slide 40 is then suitably heldagainst retraction from this advanced position. The link assembly 24 isthen compressed by movable, preferably power-operated, rams 52. 54 and66. In lthe present instance, ram 52 nrst performs its compressingfunction while the other rams 54 and 56 are retracted from the linkassembly 24, as shown in F18. 3. The ram 52 is lowered from the raisedposition shown in Fig. 3 to engage the ajacent edge 51 of the linkassembly 24 and compress the latter axially of the links 22 thereof.'The compression of the link assembly 24 byv the ram 52 is concludedwhen the latter reaches its lowermost position in which vthe operatingsurface 52a thereof is substantially flush with the sides 58 of the rams54 and 66. The ram 52 remains in its lowermost position while the rams54 and 66 perform their compressing function on the partially compressedlink assembly 24, thereby accomplishing uniform compression, in twotransverse directions, of the link assembly 24 throughout its extent.Therams 54 and 56 are preferably simultaneously advanced from theirretracted positions (Fig. 3) to engage the adjacent sides, respectively,of the link assembly 24 and compress the latter. The rams 52, 54, 56 andthe Slide 40' are then retracted to permit the removal from the fixtureof the compressed link assembly 24 which is now in the form of a mat orblank of the texture shown in Fig. 5, and which is naturallyconsiderably smaller in surface area than the link assembly 24 in itsinitial state (Fig. 1).

During the described compression of the link assembly 24, particularlyby the rams 54 and 56, the links 22 in the assembly 24, being restrainedfrom expanding in any direction except in the direction in which thepressure plate yields (Fig. 4), will expand in the latter direction.Thus, the originally round convolutions of the links 22 (Fig. 2) are, inthe compressed mat or blank, of the oblong or oval shape shown in Fig.

6, resulting in an according increase in the thick-l times that of afinished bracelet. Hence, a numl ber of bands 60 (Fig. 5), each of theapproximate Width of a finished bracelet, may be cut from the compressedblank by any suitable means. Preferably, bands blank that the adjacentends 64 of adjacent links 22 at the raw edges 62 of the bands arelocated on opposite sides, respectively, of the median planes :c-x ofthe latter, as shown in Fig. 6.

Each band 60 is finish-formed -into a bracelet by forming the oppositeraw" edges 62 thereof. present instance, in two steps. In the iirststep,the adjacent ends 64 of the links 22 in a band 60 are projected or6U are so cut from the compressed.

tucked into these links (F18. 9). In the second step, the adjacent endconvolutions 26' of the links 22 in the band are curled toward eachother and braided in the fashion shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

The first step of tucking the adjacent ends 64 of the links 22 in a band6I is performed with a tool10 (Figs. 7 to 9) which is preferablywedgeshaped in cross section and has a rack-like operating surface 12 ofwhich the tooth-like projections 14 are joined by preferably roundedbases 16. For a tucking operation by the tool 1i), a band 60 ispreferably removably placed in any suitable fixture (not shown) in whichit is held against expansion in any direction in 'the position shown inFig. 8 relative tothe tool 10. The tool 10 is preferably a hand orpower-operated ram which is movable to and from the adjacent edge 62 ofthe band. More particularly, the band 60 is so algnedwith the tool 10that, on descent of the latter from the raised position shown in Figs.'1 and 8, the tooth-like projections 14 thereof enter the ajacent bandedge 62 at the points y (Figs. 6 and 7). When the projections 14 thusenter the band edge 62 at the points y thereof, the adjacent ends 64 ofadjacent links 22 in the band are forced apart, and thus conditionedfor'their subequent inward formation by the tool 10 without obstructionfrom the nearest convoiutions of the adjacent links 22 in the band. Thesubsequent inward formation ortucking of the link ends 64 (Fig. 9) isaccomplished by the rounded bases 16 of the tool 10 on continued descentof the latter,v

except that its operating surface 82 is plane andv devoid of anyprojections. The performance of the modified tool on a band edge 62 issubstantially the same as that of the tool 10, al-

though the latter tool is preferred due to the more uniform dispositionof the tucked-in ends 64 by the projections 14.

At one operation of the tool 10 or modified tool 80, the link ends 64along one band edge 62 only are tucked in, whereupon the band isinverted so as to present its other edge 62 to the tool for -a tuckingoperation. It is also contemplated to provide oppositely operable tools10 or 80, and suitably to hold a band 60 in such relation thereto thatthe simultaneously operating tools tuck in the link ends 64 along bothband edges 62 in one operation of these tools.

For performing the above-described second step in the formation of theband edges 62, recourse is had to a tool 86 (Fig. 14) which has apreferably semi-cylindrical operating surface 88. For an operation oftool 86 ,on a band 60, the latter is placed and held in a suitablefixture (not shown), the same as for a tueking operation. The tool 86 isa hand or power-operated ram which is movable to and from the adjacentedge 62 of the band 60. While the band 60 is held in the fixture, asmentioned, and on descent of the tool 86 from a raised position into theposition shown in Fig. 14', the operating surface 88 thereof engages theadjacent band edge 62 and curls the adjacent endconvolutions 26 of thelinks 22'in the band into dome-like formations, (Fig. 14) which, whenviewed edgewise of the band, have the interbraided appearance shown inFig. 13.

Instead of using only one curling tool 86 and finished edge 90 thereoffor the finish-formation by the tool 88 of the opposite, partly-finishedband i While the foregoing description has dealt with edge it is alsocontemplated to provide oppothe formation of asupply blank from which a.

sitely operating curling tools 66 that may slmulnumber of bands 60 arecut, it is, of course, fully taneously perform their curling functionson the within the scope of the present invention to make opposite .edges62, respectively, of the band. a band 8|! directly from correspondinglyshort Fig. 15 shows a modified curling tool 92 which links 2,2, byinterlacing them to form a' premay be used in lieu of the tool 8B, andwhich has assembly of pivotally connected links, and then a V-shapedoperating surface 94 instead of a vcompressing said pre-assemblylengthwise and semi-cylindrical operating surface.' The perwidthwisethereof while permitting it to expand formance of the modified tool 92upon a band l0 in the direction of its thickness. The side edges edge 62is the sameas that of the tool 86. of a band thus formed are thenfinished in the The instant bracelet 20 (Fig. 12) is nonstretchsamemanner as the side edges 90 of the described able, but is sufficientlyflexible to bend easily bracelet 20.

around a persons wrist if used as a wrist-watch Whilel I. have shown anddescribed preferred band, for instance. The flexibility of the bracelet15 embodiments of my invention, it will be undersprlngs from thedescribed interlacement of the stood t" at various Vchanges may be madein the separate links 22 from which the same is fabripresent inventionwithout departing from the cated, which permits them to pivot relativeto underlying idea or principles of the invention each other about axesparallel to their longitudiwithin the scope of the appended claims. nalaxes. The links 22 in the bracelet 20 are 20 Having thus described myinvention, what I otherwise. substantially immovable relative to claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

each other due to the close interlock o! their l. A flexible braceletband, comprising a series convolutions, resulting from the inevitablemutual of spiral elements arrangedside-by-side with the deformation ofthe adjacent convolutions of adjaconvolutions of adjacent elementsinterlaced with cent lengths at their intersections, in consequence 25each other for pivotal connection of the latter, of the explainedcompression of the original link and the interlaced convolutions ofadjacent eleassembly 24 in twoltransverser directions, Due to mentsbeing at their intersections mutually dethe interlacement and interlockof the links in formed into mutual limited interlocked relation thebracelet, the latter has extraordinary tensile te prevent relativemovement, other than re- Strength which defies all Ordinary efforts ai?its 3o stricted pivotal relative movement, between said destruction. Thelinks 22 may be very small in adjacent elements,

dimensions so that the bracelet appears slender I A flexible braceletband, comprising aseries and has little bulk- In fact, the bracelet maybe of spiral elements arranged side-by-side with the fabricated fromsuch diametric'ally Small links convolutions of adjacent elementsinterlaced with 22 that the bracelet would, if it were nctthlckenenother for pivotal connection of the latter, the en-ed during thecompreSSiOn, aS explained. aP- l interlaced convolutions of adjacentelements be- Dear excessively Slender andfwe'ak- The COIWO- lng sodisposed in each other as to form a sublutions 26 of the links 22 in thebracelet are so -gtantiallv closed mesh, and being at their intercloseiyinterlocked that the individual links lose sections mutually deformed`into mutual limited their identity fl-S Such and together form 2m 8X-40 interlocked relation to prevent relative movement,

tremely delicate and uniform pattern that SllS- other than restrictedpivotal relative movement, gests the most tedious and perfectworkmanship between said adjacent elements. of a skilled craftsman. Theoblong formation 3. A flexible bracelet band, comprising a series 0f theconvolutions 26 0f the links 22 during their 0f spiral elements arrangedside-by-side with the described compression also enhances the delicacy4f convciuncns of adjacent elements interlaced with of the texture oneither face of the bracelet. each other for pivotal connection of thelatter.

It is also contemplatedto make a bracelet 0f each element being formedof substantially at the instant type which is tapered in the directionband stock disposed widthwise substantially parof its length. Such 8'tapered bracelet 1S indicated allel to the longitudinal axis of saidelement, the at IUD in Fig. 17. This bracelet |00 is, prior to its 50interlaced convolutions of adjacent elements besubjection to a iinaloperation to be described, ing so disposed in each other as to form asubexectly like the previously described bracelet 2li stantially closedmesh, and being at their inter- Wth the Parallel lIliSlled edges 90,eXCeIli'f that sections mutually deformed into mutual limited tlie lnkS22 in the ,tapered bracelet |00 are iliinterlocked relation to preventrelative movement, tially axially COIllDIeSSEd by the ram 52 (Fig-3) "l5other than pivotal relative movement, between` to a lesser extent thanthe links in the bracelet said adjacent elements.

26. This is readily accomplished by imparting a 4. A flexible braceletband, comprising an asshorter work stroke to the ram 52 in its persemblyof spiral elements arranged side-by-side formance on the same linkassembly 24. Thus, with the convolutions of adjacent elementsin- Fig. 16shows abracelet 20' which is made in every (il terlaced with each otherfor pivotal connection respect like the bracelet 20, except that thelinks of the latter, said elements being wider in the 22 thereof areaxially less compressed than in the direction of the thickness of theassembly than latter bracelet. Having formed a bracelet 20', the in thedirection of the length thereof. the intersame is, for its taperformation, subjected to laced convolutions of adjacent elements being soopposite hand or power-operated rams |02 (Fig. C5 disposed in each otheras to form a substantially 17), the confronting operating surfaces |04of closed mesh, and being at their intersections lmuwhich are inclinedto each other to the extent tually deformed into mutual limitedinterlocked .to which the opposite edges 90 of the bracelet are relationto prevent relative movement, other than \to be tapered. While thebracelet is removably restricted pivotal relative movement, between saidheld in any suitable fixture (not shown) against 7l adjacent elements.widthwise expansion, the rams |02 are moved 5. A flexible bracelet band,comprising an astoward\eaeh\o`ther to engage theI adjacent edges semblyof spiral elements arranged side-by-s'ide 90, respective of the braceletand edgewise with the convolutions of adjacent elements intercompressthe latte sinto the tapered form shown laced iwith each other forpivotal connection of in Eig. 17. the latter, the convolutions of saidelements bemovement,

ing oval-like in shape and said elements being disposed in the assemblyso that they extend with the longer axes oi their oval convolutions `*inthe direction of the thickness oi' the assembly.

the-interlaced convolutions ot adjacent elements being so disposed ineach other as to form a substantially closed mesh, and being at theirintersections mutually deformed into mutual limited interlocked relationto prevent relative movement, other than restricted pivotal relativemovement. between said adjacent elements. 6. A flexible bracelet band,comprising an assembly. of spiral elements arranged side-by-side withthe convolutions of adjacent' elements interlaced with each other forpivotal connection of the latter. the interlaced convolutions ofadjacent elements being so disposed in each other 7. In a method ofmaking a exible bracelet band substantially lengthwise and widthwiseinto a substantially closed mesh in which the interlaced convolutions ofadjacent elements are at their intersections mutually deformed intomutual limited interlocked relation to prevent relative movement, otherthan restricted pivotal relative movement. between said adjacentelements.

8. In a method oi' and according to making a ilexible bracelet which aseries of spiral elewith each other to form a provement which comprisescompressing the chain, while holding it against lengthwise and widthwisebuckling, substantially lengthwise and a substantially closed mesh inconvolutions of adjacent element, relative to each other.

9. In a method of making a, flexible bracelet band according to which aseries of spiral elements of interlaced with movement other thanrestricted pivotal movement relative to each other.

10. In a. method oi' making a ilexible bracelet band identical endlengths of yadjacent end convolutions, respectively, of adjacentelements extend oppositely to each other into the confines of theadjacent elements, respectively, and each element is formed oisubstantially flat band stock disposed widthwise substantially parallelto the longitudinal axis ot said element, that improveelements intomutual dome-like formation.

11.A In a method of making a ilexible bracelet band according to which aseries og .identical spiral elements are interlaced with each other toform a, chain of pivotally that improvement which relative to eachother, and then further compressing the chain widthwise to a graduallyvarying extent from one end to the other end thereof. while holding thechain against widthwise buckling, whereby to taper the chain lengthwise.

JOHN G. SISKA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

